"Although the population of the region exceeds 80 million people and the total GDP is about 400 billion dollars, the volume of intra-regional trade remains extremely low - only about 11 billion dollars," Tatibaeva added.
Among the main goals she highlighted is the increase of mutual trade through the implementation of unified quality standards and product certification. Tatibaeva noted that Central Asia is gradually changing its role from a transit corridor to a region that produces and exports its own goods.
"We are moving from a buying and selling scheme to a model of investing, producing, and selling," she emphasized.
Tatibaeva also pointed out that the private sector finds it difficult to access large international markets without unified standards and quality requirements for products. In this regard, a regional logistics hub has been established at the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, which will facilitate the formation of larger product volumes and simplify export processes.
Additionally, there are plans to launch a regional digital platform that will unite producers from all five Central Asian countries.
"In the shortest possible time, it will be possible to find any producer in the region, and the 'single window' system will allow for the submission of documents and certificates electronically, significantly speeding up the border crossing process," she said.
Tatibaeva emphasized the importance of harmonizing certification standards and creating an international coordinating body to manage these processes. She also added that active interaction between the public and private sectors is already yielding results, facilitating the transition from discussions to concrete projects.
In her opinion, a unified regional approach, the creation of a common brand, and digital solutions can open new horizons for agricultural exports and strengthen economic cooperation among Central Asian countries.
